Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!LSUVM.BITNET!$CSB211
From: $CSB211@LSUVM.BITNET (mark orr)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: why wait for wdc or asic? 32-bit 6502's already exist!!!
Message-ID: <9005061648.AA00952@apple.com>
Date: 6 May 90 16:47:56 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 85


i sense that you guys weren't entirely thrilled with my
multiple 68k approach - though i can't understand why - it
is both doable and inexpensive...

anyway, the title of this article is correct. thirty-two bit
6502's already exist (and have existed since late '87)

the chip that i'm referring to is the arm - acorn risc machine.
it is a risc chip with an instruction set deliberately designed
around the 6502 - actually the instruction set is a superset of
the 6502. it was designed for the archimedes a310 computer in
england, which was previewed in the october 1987 issue of byte.

the archimedes was designed to be a high-performance replacement
of the acorn computer (bbc micro) which uses the 6502 as its main
processor. it is also operating system compatible with the bbc micro.

how does it perform? well, here's the specs:
(I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO FIND A COPY OF THE OCT '87 BYTE AND
 SEE THIS MACHINE FOR YOURSELF...THE ARTICLE RUNS FROM PAGES
 125 TO 130)

THE ARCHIMEDES A310 COMES STANDARD WITH
   - 1 MEGABYTE OF RAM
   - 1 3.5" 800K DISK DRIVE
   - 512K ROM
   - GRAPHICS:  640 BY 512, 256 COLORS OUT OF A
                PALETTE OF 4096
   - SOUND: EIGHT VOICES, STEREO
   - PARALLEL PRINTER INTERFACE, RS-432 (RS-422?) SERIAL INTERFACE

ACCORDING TO BYTE LAB'S TESTS:

            ARCHIMEDES        COMPAQ DESKPRO        MAC SE W/
                                386 (16 MHZ)        HYPERCHARGER
                               80287 (10 MHZ)

FIBBONACCI     52.4 SEC            53.1                 71.6

SIEVE           5.7 SEC             6.0                 14.9

SORT           10.0 SEC             5.6                 20.6

SAVAGE         91.2 SEC            21.5                  8.8

DHRYSTONES/    4901                3748                 2176
  SECOND       ----


ALL BENCHMARKS WERE PERFORMED IN C. THE ONLY DISAPPOINTING
MEASURE WAS IN THE SAVAGE BENCHMARK (MANY NESTED TRIG. FUNCTIONS,
LOGS, ANTILOGS, ETC.) WHEN THESE TEST WERE PERFORMED IN THE
INCLUDED BASIC LANGUAGE, SAVAGE TIME WAS CUT TO 32.8 SECS.

SO THIS SYSTEM MUST COST A SMALL FORTUNE RIGHT??

      < EL WRONGO >

TRY $1600 US (ABOUT 1000 POUNDS).

THE A300 LINE IS, ACORDING TO THE ARTICLE, TARGETED FOR THE
HOME AND EDUCATION MARKET. THE A400 LINE WHICH INCLUDES MORE
MEMORY, FAST HARD DRIVES AND EXPANSION SLOTS, IS TARGETED MORE
FOR BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL USE.

(YOU REALLY SHOULD SEE THIS ARTICLE - I'M NOT KIDDING)

AND FOR YOU COPROCESSOR HATER'S OUT THERE - IT HASNT GOT ANY.
ALL GRAPHICS, SOUND AND I/O ARE PERFOMED STRICTLY BY "ARM POWER"
(WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM GS TYPE GLU'S)

AND AS FOR THE ARM - "IT'S DESIGN DELIBERATELY RESEMBLES A
6502 BROUGHT UP TO DATE WITH SHORT, FAST INSTRUCTIONS AND A
SUPERFAST INTERRUPT RESPONSE TIME" THE ARM CAN ALSO ADDRESS 64
MEGABYTES OF RAM.

DROOL OVER THAT FOR A WHILE.


    MARK ORR                  |   "YOU AREN'T GOING TO
                              |    BE HAPPY UNTIL YOU
  $CSB211@LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU  |    CUT YOURSELF WITH IT!!!"
         @LSUVM (BITNET)      |
                              |